Jim Feist Handicapper Reviews & Picks

The Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins finish their three-game series at loanDepot park in Miami today with first pitch at 1:10 p.m. Eastern. The Miami Marlins secured victories in the initial two games of the series through a 4–3 win on Tuesday and now pursue a complete series sweep.

Brady Singer will take his position on the mound as the Reds' right-handed pitcher. Singer holds a 3–0 record this season while maintaining a 3.80 ERA and accumulating 24 strikeouts across 21.1 innings. Cincinnati hopes for a strong pitching performance to prevent Miami from completing the series sweep. The Marlins' right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara comes to the mound with a 2–1 win-loss record and 13 strikeouts to his name despite a high 7.27 ERA across 17.1 innings pitched this season. Miami hopes for a series sweep through the improved performance of right-hander Sandy Alcantara.

Elly De La Cruz leads the Reds with five home runs and 22 RBIs while Gavin Lux contributes with a batting average of .316. Matt Mervis stands out as the Marlins' top home run hitter with six while Kyle Stowers leads the team in RBIs with 15 runs batted in and maintains a .307 batting average.

The Reds and the Marlins face difficulties with injured key players like Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson for the Reds while Derek Hill and Nick Fortes are injured for the Marlins.

I give a big advantage to the Reds today with Singer on the hill. Reds playing too well to get swept by Miami.

Jim's Pick: Cincinnati Reds

The New York Yankees need to prevent a series sweep today when they play their final game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. The first pitch of the game will take place at 1:10 p.m. Eastern time. The Yankees lost both initial games in the series while falling to a close 3–2 defeat Tuesday night. Aaron Judge delivered a superb performance by achieving four hits that boosted his batting average to .411 but New York failed to maintain their 2–0 lead. Will Warren delivered solid performances through five innings but struggled in the sixth inning with reliever Mark Leiter Jr. failing to contain Cleveland's comeback. Ben Rice ignited the game with a leadoff home run but the Yankees could not build on that initial run.

Carlos Rodón will start for New York following his best season performance which included six shutout innings and nine strikeouts. With a 2–3 record and a 4.34 ERA he steps onto the mound to stabilize a rotation facing consistency challenges. Amid a five-game winning streak the Guardians hold first place in the American League Central with their 14–9 record. Luis Ortiz will take the mound after allowing only three earned runs throughout his recent 10.2 innings and striking out 18 batters.

Steven Kwan's .341 batting average and Kyle Manzardo's seven home runs with 18 RBIs have powered Cleveland's offensive success. Reliever Cade Smith has delivered consecutive saves which have made the bullpen an essential component of their success. The Yankees must secure another robust performance from Rodón alongside stronger hitting contributions from players other than Judge to save the series finale. This series finale promises to be a close and competitive battle between two teams with quality pitching staffs and Guardians riding their winning streak.

I like the Guardians to sweep here today. Yankees pitching leaves a lot to be desired this season and the Guardians are playing very well.

Jim's Pick: Cleveland Guardians.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will play against Los Angeles Angels during their second match of a three-game series on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The game begins at 9:38 p.m. Eastern time. Pittsburgh Pirates aim to extend their positive trajectory following their decisive 9–3 win in the series opener that ended a three-game losing streak. Pittsburgh achieved their largest single-game hit total since April 2023 with 18 hits in the game while Andrew McCutchen delivered a three-run homer and both Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa recorded multi-hit performances.

The Pirates will start left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney who currently has a 1–1 win-loss record combined with a 2.13 earned run average. Andrew Heaney has stood out in Pittsburgh’s pitching rotation by permitting only 17 hits and one home run across 25.1 innings while achieving 22 strikeouts. The Pirates will face Angels' right-handed pitcher Jack Kochanowicz who has a 1–2 record with a 6.20 ERA. Jack Kochanowicz struggled in his initial outings as he gave up 23 hits and 14 earned runs during 20.1 innings.

The Angels have experienced six losses in their last eight games while maintaining an 11–11 season record in search of a performance comeback. The team continues to pose a significant threat at the plate since they stand fourth in home run rankings with 34 despite their recent performance issues. Mike Trout stands out as the team leader with eight homers and 16 RBIs while Taylor Ward contributes another six home runs. Their team batting average stands at a disappointing .220 which shows their performance inconsistency.

The Pittsburgh team has experienced offensive challenges during their 9–15 season with their batting average and slugging percentage ranking them among the league's lowest performers. Tuesday’s offensive outburst may signify a pivotal moment for their team. Oneil Cruz is the leading home run hitter for the Pirates with five homers and 11 RBIs while Kiner-Falefa maintains consistent performance with a .293 batting average.

Pittsburgh stands a good chance to win the series because of their improved offensive performance at the plate alongside Heaney’s consistent performance. If the Pirates can keep that hitting momentum going then they will win here tonight. I also like the fact that the Pirates are a nice dog play.

Jim's Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates

The interleague series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks continues at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday, April 23rd when the game begins at 9:40 p.m. Eastern time. Tampa Bay enters the game determined to stop their four-game road losing pattern and recover from their 5-1 defeat in the series' first game. Taj Bradley, a right-handed pitcher with a 2-1 record and a 5.24 ERA, will take the mound for the Rays. Bradley demonstrated potential during previous games but faced difficulties in his latest performance where he allowed six earned runs against New York. The pitcher must stay focused when facing Arizona's highly productive offense which has led the league in output over their last two weeks.

The Diamondbacks have achieved seven victories out of their last nine matches which places them at a 14-9 record this season. The team chooses Eduardo Rodriguez as their starting pitcher who holds a 1-2 win-loss record along with a 4.09 ERA. Rodriguez has delivered strong performances in his recent starts and accumulated strikeouts quickly. The Arizona offense thrives as Pavin Smith delivers with a .397 batting average and four home runs while Corbin Carroll contributes seven home runs and maintains a .323 batting average. The Tampa Bay offense has consistently struggled to produce runs which positions them at a middle-of-the-pack status. Jonathan Aranda tops the Rays with a .344 batting average yet the team needs greater production from their lineup to remain competitive.

The Diamondbacks have a strong chance to dominate the series because Arizona's offense performs well and Rodriguez pitches effectively. The Rays require Bradley to bounce back and for their hitters to find their rhythm quickly if they want to stop their descent from the .500 mark. Arizona takes a position of advantage into Wednesday night’s matchup based on current trends and momentum.

Tampa struggling too much right now and they have to face one of the better NL teams on the road. Laying more than I usually like, but with this mismatch I don't mind.

Jim's Free Play: Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers hold a 1-0 series lead over the Miami Heat after their decisive 121-100 Game 1 victory as they prepare to face off again on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell achieved a game-high 30 points with four steals while Cleveland's backcourt trio of him, Darius Garland, and Ty Jerome exceeded 80 total points in Game 1. Garland contributed 27 points to the team's effort while Jerome produced a game-changing 28-point performance from the bench that included 16 points in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory. The Cavaliers displayed strong three-point shooting by hitting 18 out of their 43 attempts which demonstrated their depth and power on offense.

Miami entered the playoffs as the first No. 10 seed to move past the Play-In Tournament. To reach the playoffs from the Play-In Tournament as the first No. 10 seed to do so Miami depended primarily on Bam Adebayo's 24 points and Tyler Herro's 21 points. Miami could not stop Cleveland’s perimeter attack from advancing while their offense failed to maintain an equivalent pace. The absence of veteran players Kevin Love and Terry Rozier due to injuries has left Miami Heat with fewer players and reduced scoring ability.

Miami needs strategic defensive improvements primarily against three-point shooters and additional offensive support besides their two leading scorers for Game 2. Cleveland aims to maintain their scoring drive to build a 2-0 series advantage before moving to South Florida. The betting lines favor the Cavaliers with a double-digit advantage after they demonstrated their superior performance in Game 1 against Miami's significant challenges. The Heat must deliver sharp performances from all players to prevent falling into a 0-2 series deficit against the strong playoff-aspiring Cavaliers.

Big line here in game two as the Cavs around a 12-point favorite. While I don't expect a Heat win, I do look for them to slide in under that line.

Jim's Play: Miami Heat